Cutting machine



NOV. 5, 1935. J F U N 2,020,113

CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l Q at 'Q min m Nov. 5, 1935. J. FERGUSON CUTTING MACHINE Filed July a, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .A\ Uu m2 WW4 ma n 9% NOV. 5, 1935. F N 2,020,113

'CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor John L. Ferguson Aiiorn eys Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUTTING MACHINE John L. Ferguson, Joliet, Ill.

Application July 8, 1933, Serial No. 679,459

This invention relates to means for automatically cutting tubes into sections and more particularly for cutting comparatively long tubes into sections for use in making cylindrical containers commonly kDOWIl as paper cans.

Such containers are formed by placing caps at the top and bottom of a cylindrical section, which latter is usually made of paper or other readilyformable material.

This invention is an improvement over the device disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 436,244, filed March 15, 1930, by Allan M. Scott, and is intended to facilitate the production of the cylindrical portions of packages or containers by providing a machine to which comparatively long tubes may be automatically fed and wherein the tubes may be cut into a plurality of sections and the sections thereafter expeditiously ejected from the machine.

The invention provides means for automatically cutting tubes into sections of predetermined lengths and for performing all operations of receiving, cutting and ejecting independently of the attention of an operator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tube cutting machine of relatively small dimensions and provided with a feeding zone and a cutting zone and in which the operation of the machine may be substantially continuous and wherein a minimum number of moving parts operate efficiently to provide a maximum output with a minimum amount of attention and repair.

The invention also provides for suitable adjustment whereby the tubes may be cut into substantially any desired number of sections, and a suitable means is also provided for automatically trimming the end of the tube and disposing of the trimmed portion.

A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a machine of the character de scribed which is of comparatively simple construction and having a minimum number of moving parts easily synchronized and without com plicated mechanical movements and wherein the Various operations and mechanisms are so coordinated and correlated as to accommodate a maximum flow of tubes thereto and of cut sections therefrom.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of the machine showing the parts in the cutting position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the parts in the feeding position;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of Fig. 3 viewed from the left; 1

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a section taken on the line l-'l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary rear view of the feeding member taken on the section-line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary 'view showing the feed carriage;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail View showing the clutch trip mechanism; and

Fig. 12 is a detail section taken on the line l2-l2 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings in detail, one portion of the machine may be designated as a cutting zone which comprises, as the drawing is viewed, practically the entire left-hand portion of the machine and the right-hand portion may be designated as a feeding zone.

As shown in Fig. 8, the machine is provided with a suitable feed chute leading to the feeding zone and in use this chute is preferably connected with the tube delivery end of a suitable tube making machine wherein tubes of a desired length are automatically formed and deposited into the chute wherein they feed by gravity to the feeding zone of the machine.

' The walls of the tubes are comparatively thin and are made of paper or other suitable material and as they are fed into the chute they roll downwardly and are automatically moved consecutively by a suitable feeding means into alignment with a constantly rotating mandrel which is located in the cutting zone of the machine. The tube is then automatically moved onto the mandrel where it is cut into a plurality of sections, preferably by rotary'knives which are pressed against the tube, and the end of the tube is simultaneously trimmed and the trimmed portion is disposed of by means of a jet of compressed air. The sections are then automatically transferred back through the feeding zone and ejected from the machine by a suitable conveyor. sections are usuallymoved by the conveyor to another automatic machine where further operations are performed to complete the container.

Theembodiment illustrated comprises a bed I The which is comparatively narrow and may be somewhat similar to an ordinary lathe bed. The bed is supported on suitable legs 2. This structure comprises a support on which all of the mechanism included in the feeding zone and the cutting zone is supported.

A longitudinal shaft 3 is mounted in suitable bearings 4 and 5 and supports a mandrel 6 in the cutting zone, the mandrel being of a suitable lengthyand diameter to receive one of the tubes to be cut. The tubes may be easily slipped on and off the mandrel but have sufficient frictional contact to cause them to be rotated therewith.

The shaft 3 and its associated mandrel 6 are driven by means of a motor I which is mounted underneath the table and which drives the shaft by means of a belt 8 on suitable pulleys.

The mandrel 6 is preferably built up of tubular sections to provide alternate spacing and cutting sections whereby by adjusting suitable rotary cutting knives to correspond with the cutting sections the tubes may be cut into desired lengths. The construction of this mandrel is described in the above-noted copending application and need not be further described herein.

A sprocket 9 is driven from the shaft of the motor I through a suitable speed reduction gearing such as a worm and worm wheel and is arranged to drive a transverse shaft ID by means of a chain H and a sprocket I2 which latter is loosely mounted on the transverse shaft I and forms the driving member of a clutch l3. An oscillating lever I4 is pivoted at IS on a depending bracket I 6 which is located under the bed of the machine. The lever I 4 is connected for movement by the transverse shaft l 0 by means of a link I! and a crank arm l8, which latter is provided with an enlarged hub having a spring pressed pawl arm l9 extending therefrom. The hub forms the driven member of the clutch I3 whereby the transverse shaft Ill, as well as the oscillating lever 14, will be constantly driven by the motor when the clutch is engaged. The link I I has an adjustable bolt and slot connection with the lever l4 whereby the stroke of the lever may be accurately adjusted.

The clutch I3 is similar to that shown and described in the above-noted copending application Serial No. 436,244 and is provided with a similar pawl having the outwardly extending pawl arm IS. A slidable rod 20 is longitudinally positioned and slidably mounted at the side of the machine and is provided at its end adjacent the clutch with a detent portion 2|. The rod 20 may be automatically moved by means which will be described later whereby the detent member 2 I' will be moved into the path of the outwardly extending clutch pawl arm I 9. The pawl arm is spring pressed to normally retain the clutch in engagement for driving both the transverse shaft and the oscillating lever, and, therefore, when the detent 2| is moved into the path of the pawl arm I 9 the clutch will be disengaged and the oscillating arm and transverse shaft will be stopped and. remain stationary until the slidable rod is again moved to release the pawl arm from the detent 2| and cause the clutch to be reengaged.

The driven member of the clutch l3, that is, the hub of the arm I8, is frictionally engaged by an adjustable brake band 22 whereby the oscillating arm and transverse shaft will be immediately stopped when the clutch is disengaged.

At the rear of the machine is mounted a longitudinal shaft 23 which extends completely through the cutting and feeding zones and is driven from the transverse shaft ID by means of bevel gears 24.

The shaft 23 is provided with a cam member 25 which is arranged to operate on a vertical cam rod 26 connected to a rocking cutter bar 21. This cutter bar is pivotally mounted in suitable adjustable bearings 28 on rods 29 which are supported in brackets on the base of the machine. The rocker bar 21 is substantially the same length as the mandrel and mounted adjacent thereto and arranged to support cutter units 30 by means of suitable dovetail connections 3!. These cutter units 30 are each provided with a rotary knife 32 which may be adjusted on 3! and clamped thereto by means of a set screw 33.

The cutter units may be suitably adjusted and secured in position to cut any desired length of tube section. A plurality of units are provided whereby a tube may be cut into as many sections as desired. It will be readily understood that with each rotation of the shaft 23 the cam thereon will cause the rocker bar 21 to be oscillated and the cutter knives 32 will be brought into position to cut the tube.

A rotatable tube receiving and feeding member 34 is mounted in suitable bearings in the feeding zone at the rear of the machine and a chute 35 is provided whereby tubes 36 may be delivered from a tube making machine to the feeding zone and there be consecutively moved by the feeding member 34 into alignment with the mandrel.

The feeding member 34 is provided with a plurality of tube carrying wings 31 which form the pockets for receiving the tubes and moving them into alignment with the mandrel.

The rotary feeding member is provided with a pulley 38 whereby the member 34 may be driven from the pulley 23a. on the shaft 23 by means of a belt 23b.

This pulley 38 may be frictionally mounted on the shaft 39 of the feeding member whereby the 40 pulley 38 will slip when the feeding member is held against rotation. A friction clutch may be provided between the pulley 38 and the shaft 39 although it has been found that the slip of the belt 23b on the pulley 38 meets all normal requirements.

The feeding member 34 is held against rotation and intermittently released for partial rotation to align consecutive tubes with the mandrel. A pawl 48 is pivotally mounted on the frame and 5 arranged to engage a ratchet 4| secured to the feeding member 34. The pawl 40 is provided with a downwardly extending cam rod 42 which is slotted and vertically guided on the shaft 23. This cam rod 42 is provided with a roller 43 ar- 5 ranged to be engaged by a cam lug '44 on the pulley 2321 so that with each revolution of the shaft 23 the engagement of the cam lug 44 with the roller 43 will cause the ratchet 4| to release the tube feeding member 34 for a partial rotation 5 and a tube thereon will be moved into alignment with the mandrel and the cut sections of the preceding tube will be dropped onto the conveyor belt 46 to be discharged from the machine.

A guard 45 engages the opposite side of the tube and the tube is therefore held in the position shown in Fig. 8 and in alignment with the mandrel by means of its position between the guard 45 and the adjacent wings 31 of the tube feeding member. After the tube has been moved onto the mandrel by means which will be described later, the cutting operation is performed and the cut sections are then pushed from the mandrel into the feeding zone and in the same position as the original uncut tube and the next 7 movement of the tube feeding member will desource at a rate which will move the cut sections out of the path of the feeding member while the machine is operating on the next succeeding tube.

Sheet metal guides 49 are positioned to guide the sections out of the machine. In order that the feeding and cutting operations may be stopped, in case the cut sections do not move from the belt 46' as fast as they are supplied thereto, an arm 50 is secured to a rock shaft 5| which is mounted in brackets 52. This shaft is connected to the slidable detent rod 20 previously mentioned, by means of a bell crank 53 and a link member 54. When the guides 49 are filled with tube sections the arm 50 is in raised position and if they are not removed in synchronism with the operation of the machine, the arm 50 will remain resting on top of one of the sections thereby holding the detent 21 in the path of the pawl arm is thereby stopping the feeding and cutting operations by releasing the driven clutch member of clutch I3 as described previously. When the tubes pass from under 50, the cutting and feeding operations are resumed automatically.

An oscillating carriage 55 is mounted for longitudinal movement on suitable guide bars 58 which are supported in suitable brackets adjacent the cutting and feeding zones.

This carriage is connected to the oscillating lever M by means of a link 51 whereby the carriage will move to and from the feeding zone with each movement of thelever.

A tubular member 58 is mounted on the carriage and provided with an adjustable arm 59 telescoping therein and which is provided with a suitable securing means whereby it may be secured in adjusted position.

This arm extends inwardly to a point adjacent the tube and is provided with a tube engaging member 60 which is pivoted at GI and normally retained in the position illustrated by means of a spring 62. When the carriage is moved toward the right-hand end or feeding zone of the machine, the tube engaging member 60 is carried to theright sufiiciently to be out of the path of the rotatable tube feeding member. The feeding member is then released for partial rotation to bring a tube into alignment with the mandrel. The forward movement of the carriage then causes the yieldable pawl 60 to engage the end of the tube and carry it onto the mandrel where it will be rotated by friction, the mechanism of the machine being so synchronized that the cutter knives 32 are then moved against the tube by the mechanism described and the tube is cut into sections.

A closely fitting slidable member 63 is arranged to slidably engage the mandrel and is provided with an offset extension member 64 which extends into the carriage tubular member 53 and is slidable therein and normally held in its extreme left-hand position by means of a spring 55 in the tube. When the carriage is moved to the extreme left, the member 63 will engage a shoulder Go on the mandrel 6 and the spring 65 will be compressed thereby allowing the oscillating lever l4 and the carriage 55 to complete their movements, and to carry the tube completely onto the mandrel. The return movement of the carriage will cause the member 63 valve rod 1 I.

to push the cut sections from the mandrel back into the feeding zone.

The member 63 is provided with an opening 65 which is arranged to receive wax which is automatically applied to the mandrel during the 5 movement of the member thereover, this wax maintaining the proper degree of friction between the tube and the mandrel whereby the tube will be rotated during the cutting operation but may be easily moved onto the mandrel and the 10 sections easily removed therefrom. The compression'of the spring 65 in the tube 58 by reason of the member 63 striking the shoulder 6a allows the carriage to continue its movement during the cutting operation, that is, the tube, which is 15 shorter than the normal distance between the block or member 63 and the tube engaging pawl 55, will be pushed completely onto the mandrel by the pawl 60 and at the same time the spring 65 will be compressed and the cutting operation 20 will take place while the carriage reverses and starts its movement toward the rear of the machine, the spring 65 in the tube maintaining the member 63 against the shoulder 6a whereby the tube is not displaced during the cutting operation. This also allows the rearward movement of the carriage to move the pawl 65 away from the end of the tube so that, during the rearward movement of the carriage to carry the tube and the cut sections onto the feeding zone, the pawl 50 will be advanced ahead of the tube and will be out of the path of the rotary feeding member as soon as the tube sections are completely removed from the mandrel.

This construction provides for a considerable saving of time in that the movement of the carriage is not stopped at any time but all parts of the machine are synchronized in such a manner that a substantial continuous operation is obtained.

The tubes, as manufactured, are slightly longer than the desired number of sections. Therefore, the-last right-hand cutter is adjacent the end of the mandrel and is arranged to trim that end of the tube. The narrow ring which is trimmed from the tube is blown from the machine through a chute 61 by means of compressed air from a pipe 63. This jet is controlled by a valve 69 which is intermittently opened by means of a cam 1'0 rotated by shaft 23 and operating on a 50 The disposal of this trimmed end is important in view of the fact that the cut sections from this machine are usually fed directly to a capping machine and the trimmed 55 ends must be disposed of and not be allowed to enter the capping machine.

It will be apparent that the machine disclosed herein may be varied in its physical embodiment without departing from the spirit of the inven- 60 tion, and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A. device of the character described includ- 55 ing a feeding zone and a cutting zone, a constantly rotating mandrel in said cutting zone, an intermittently operable feeding means in said feeding zone and arranged to move uncut tubes consecutively into alignment with said mandrel, means for moving each uncut tube onto said mandrel and returning cut tube sections into said feeding means, means for cutting said tube into sections while on said mandrel, and means for removing said out sections from the feeding zone when released by movement of the feeding means.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a constantly rotating mandrel in a cutting zone, an intermittently rotatable feeding device in a feeding zone and arranged to feed a tube into alignment with said mandrel, an oscillating means formoving said tube onto said mandrel and for removing cut. sections therefrom, means for cutting the tube while on said mandrel, said feeding device being arranged to receive the cut sections from said mandrel and to release said sections during its succeeding movement.

3. A machine of the character described and having a cutting zone and a feeding zone, a constantly rotating mandrel in said cutting zone, an intermittently rotating feeding device in said feeding zone for aligning consecutive tubes with said mandrel, means operable during each rest period of said feeding device to move a tube onto said mandrel and return cut sections to'said feeding device, and means for cutting the tube into sections while on said mandrel, said feeding device being arranged to release the cut sectionsduring its succeeding movement.

1. A machine of the character described including a cutting zone and a feeding zone, a mandrel in said cutting zone, a constantly driven power source, a transmission for driving said mandrel at a constant rate, an intermittently operable feeding means in said feeding zone, a constantly driven transmission for operating said feeding means, a trip means for causing the intermittent operation of said feeding means from said constantly driven transmission, an oscillating carriage for moving a tube from said feeding means onto said mandrel, a branch transmission for operating said carriage means for cutting said tube while on said mandrel, said carriage. being arranged to return the cut sections to said feeding means, said feeding means being arranged to release said out sections while a succeeding tube is being brought into alignment with said mandrel, and means controlled by said out sections for controlling the operation of said branch transmission.

5. A device of the character described including a feeding zone and a cutting zone, an oscillatable carriage reciprocable between said zones, yieldable means on said carriage for engaging the end of a tube and moving it into said cutting zone, and means on said carriage for engaging the opposite end of said tube and returning it to said feeding zone, said engaging means being arranged to provide sufficient lost motion of the carriage between engagements to allow said tube to be cut in said cutting zone before the operation of said second engaging means and to allow the introduction of a succeeding tube before the engagement of said first engaging means. I

6. In a machine of the character described including a cutting zone and a feeding zone, a constantly driven transmission extending through both zones, a rotatable feeding means in said feeding zone and driven from said transmission, means between said transmission and said rotatable meansfor intermittently stopping the rotation, means for cutting a tube in said feeding zone and operable from said transmission, and means for moving a tube from said feeding zone into said cutting zone and for returning out sections to said feeding zone.

7. In an apparatus for dividing a tube into a for feeding tubes laterally from a tube supply and for aligning successive tubes with the mandrel, and means for placing tubes one by one on said mandrel and for removing cut tubes, said feeding means being adapted to intermittently constitute a receiving means for said out tubes.

8. In a tube cutting and trimming machine of the character described, a rotating mandrel, means for aligning consecutive tubes with said mandrel, oscillatable means for moving said tubes onto said mandrel .and removing cut sections therefrom, means for cutting each tube into sections while on said mandrel, means for trimming one end of said tube, and intermittently operable means for directing a jet of compressed air transversely of the path of said tube to remove the trimmed end from the path of said tube sections during the section removing movement of said oscillating means and without disturbing the normal movement of said sections.

9. In a tube cutting and trimming machine of the character described, a rotating mandrel, means for aligning consecutive tubes with said mandrel, a carriage movable longitudinally of said carriage in one direction to move a tube onto said mandrel .and in the opposite direction to remove cut sections from said mandrel, means for cutting the tube into sections while on said mandrel and for trimming the end thereof, and automatically controlled means synchronized with the movement of said carriage for directing a jet of compressed .air to remove the trimmed portion transversely from the path of said tube sections during the movement of said carriage in said opposite direction.

10. In a tube cutting machine of the character described, a mandrel to receive uncut tubes, means for moving tubes into alignment with said mandrel, a carriage for moving each aligned tube onto said mandrel and for removing cut tube sections therefrom, means for cutting the tube while on said mandrel, a resilient means on said carriage for engaging an end of said tube and moving the tube onto said mandrel, a resiliently mounted tube stop on said carriage for positioning said tube relative to said cutting means, and means for stopping said tube stop in a predetermined position while allowing continued movement of said carriage in the same direction, said carriage tube stop being arranged to remove the cut tube sections from said mandrel during the return stroke of said carriage.

11. In a tube cutting machine of the character described, the combination with a mandrel to receive uncut tubes, of means for aligning a tube with said mandrel, an oscillating carriage, means on said carriage for moving said aligned tube onto said mandrel during a portion of its forward movement, means for cutting said tube into sections during the remaining portion of the forward movement and a portion of the return move-' ment of said carriage, .and means for removing the cut tube sections during the remainder of the return movement.

12. In a tube cutting machine of the character described having a constantly rotating mandrel to receive uncut tubes and means for cutting a tube while on said mandrel, an oscillating carriage for moving a tube onto said mandrel, the movement of said carriage being materially greater than the length of the tube, means on said carriage for engaging .a tube to move it onto the mandrel, and means movable with said carriage but limited to a materially shorter stroke for accurately positioning said tube on said mandrel.

13. In a tube cutting machine of the character described having a constantly rotating mandrel to receive uncut tubes and means for cutting a tube while on said mandrel, .an oscillating carriage for moving a tube onto said mandrel, the movement of said carriage being materially greater than the length of the tube, means'on said carriage for engaging a tube to move it onto the mandrel, and means movable with said carriage but limited to a materially shorter stroke for accurately positioning said tube on said mandrel, said positioning means being arranged to remove cut tube sections from said tube during movement of said carriage.

14. In a tube cutting machine of the character described having a rotating mandrel and means for cutting tubes thereon into sections, an oscillating carriage for moving tubes onto said mandrel and removing out sections therefrom, and a wax container movable in synchronized relation with said carriage and slidable on said mandrel to apply wax thereto.

15. In a tube cutting machine of the character described having a rotating mandrel and means for cutting tubes thereon into sections, an oscillating carriage for moving tubes onto said mandrel and removing cut sections therefrom, and a wax container movable in synchronized relation with said carriage and slidable on said mandrel to apply wax thereto, said container providing a positioning means for said tubes relative to said cutting means when the tubes are moved onto said mandrel.

16. In a tube cutting machine having a mandrel and means for cutting tubes thereon into sections, means for moving tubes onto said mandrel and for removing cut sections therefrom, and means for automatically lubricating the surface of said mandrel between tube cutting operations.

17. In a tube cutting machine the combination With a mandrel and synchronized mechanisms arranged to move aligned tubes onto said mandrel and cut the tube into sections and remove said sections, of a plurality of tube receiving pockets movable to consecutively align tubes with said mandrel and'to receive the cut sections therefrom.

- 18. In a tube cutting machine the combination with a mandrel and synchronized mechanisms arranged to move aligned tubes onto said mandrel and cut the tube into sections and remove said sections, of a plurality of tube receiving pockets movable to consecutively align tubes with said mandrel and to receive the cut sections therefrom, said pockets being arranged to discharge said sections during a succeeding movement.

JOHN L. FERGUSON. 

